Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. These seizures are transient signs and symptoms of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Epilepsy thus refers to a clinical phenomenon rather than a single disease entity, since there are many forms and causes of epilepsy. Various methods are available for treating epilepsy including drugs.
The present invention is restricted to anti-epileptic drugs and more specifically to an improved process for the synthesis of the popular anti-epileptic drug viz. (R)-Lacosamide, developed from functionalized amino acids. Functionalized amino acids (FAAs) are an advanced novel class of anticonvulsant agents, from which (R)-Lacosamide emerged as one of the best antiepileptic drugs for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients with epilepsy and as add-on treatment in brain tumor patients.
The Structure of FAAs and Lacosamide is Given in FIG. 1 (A and B).
The precise mechanism of action of (R)-Lacosamide in humans has not yet been fully elucidated, but it enhances the slow inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels, resulting in stabilization of hyperexcitable neuronal membranes and inhibition of repetitive neuronal firing. Additionally, (R)-Lacosamide is also under clinical trials for the treatment of neuropathic pains.